The Ashburton River / Hakatere is a river in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. The river has two branches which meet 21 kilometres (13 mi) from the coast, just inland of the town of Ashburton

Ashburton, New Zealand

Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury Region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, which is also the name of the...

. The branches remain parallel and no more than 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) apart for a further 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) upstream of their confluence, finally diverging near the small settlement of Ashburton Forks. The rivers' path southeast across the Canterbury Plains

Canterbury Plains

The Canterbury Plains are an area in New Zealand centred to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in the south they merge into the plains of North Otago beyond the Waitaki...

 lies in a shallow depression between the higher shingle fans created by the much larger Rakaia

Rakaia River

The Rakaia River is in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island. The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand...

 and Rangitata

Rangitata River

The Rangitata River is one of the braided rivers that helped form the Canterbury Plains in southern New Zealand. It flows southeast for 120 kilometres from the Southern Alps, entering the Pacific Ocean 30 kilometres northeast of Timaru...

 rivers.
Both branches are crossed via siphons by the Rangitata Diversion Race, part of an irrigation scheme.

The river separates Ashburton from its southern suburb, Tinwald

Tinwald, New Zealand

Tinwald is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand, now little more than a suburb of Ashburton. It lies to the south of the larger town, separated from it by the Ashburton River...

. Both river and town are named for William Baring (Lord Ashburton) who was a leading member of the Canterbury Association

Canterbury Association

The Canterbury Association was formed in order to establish a colony in what is now the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand.- Formation of the Association :...

.

The official name of the river was amended to become a dual name by the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998.

North branch

The Ashburton River North Branch / Hakatere flows from the slopes of Godley Peak (2087 metres (6,847.1 ft)) in the Palmer Range. The uppermost reach of the river is known as Petticoat lane. The river flows south then southwest through narrow scree-sided valleys with almost no areas of river flats. The Black Hills Range and Pudding Hill Range lie to the northeast and the Alford Range to the southwest. The river emerges from the hills adjacent to Pudding Hill airfield.

South branch

The larger Ashburton River South Branch / Hakatere starts as the outflow of the Ashburton Glacier which flows down from Mount Arrowsmith (2781 metres (9,124 ft)), 26 kilometres (16.2 mi) west of the North branch source. It initially flows southeast down a narrow valley between the Big Hill Range and the Wild Man's Brother Range. 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from source the river trends south, turning southeast again to cross the flat Hakatere Valley where the outflows of several small lakes (collectively known as the Ashburton Lakes) join it. The river exits the valley via the Ashburton Gorge, with the Moorhouse Range to the south and the Clent Hills and Winterslow Range to the north, emerging onto the Canterbury Plains at Mount Somers

Mount Somers

Mount Somers is a small town in Canterbury, New Zealand, nestled in the foothills of the Southern Alps. The population in the 2001 census was 2,307. Due to its scenic location, it has seen growth in the number of holiday homes....

then flowing east towards Ashburton Forks.